Trump accuses Biden aides of exploiting health, manipulating policy
3 Min Read
Donald Trump claims senior Biden aides committed treason by using an autopen to implement unauthorized policies amid Biden's alleged cognitive decline and cancer diagnosis.
-
Joe Biden and Donald Trump stand together before the start of the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, January 20, 2025. (AP)
US President Donald Trump has accused senior aides to former President Joe Biden of committing "treason at the highest level," alleging they exploited Biden’s cognitive decline to enact policies he would not have approved of himself.
Central to Trump’s claims is the alleged misuse of the autopen, a device used to replicate a person’s signature, to authorize executive actions without Biden’s direct consent.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that the surge in illegal immigration was orchestrated by staffers who, in his words, "took over the autopen" and bypassed the president’s authority.
"The Joe Biden that everybody knew would never allow drug dealers, gang members, and the mentally insane to come into our Country totally unchecked and unvetted," Trump wrote, insisting Biden’s record contradicts the current border policy. He blamed Biden’s aides for the policy shift, stating, "It wasn’t his idea to open the border… It was the people that knew he was cognitively impaired."
Trump went on to label the alleged actions as "treason at the highest level," claiming that those involved "wanted to destroy our Country, but couldn’t, because I came along."
Biden’s cancer and transparency questions
The accusations coincide with growing public scrutiny over Biden’s health. The White House recently disclosed that the former president was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, marked by a Gleason score of nine with metastasis to the bone. While Trump publicly expressed sympathy, he questioned the timing of the announcement.
"I’m surprised that… the public wasn’t notified a long time ago, because to get to stage nine, that’s a long time," he told reporters, suggesting the diagnosis was likely known far earlier.
Trump also speculated whether the same White House medical team overlooked signs of cognitive impairment. "In other words, there are things going on that the public wasn’t informed of. And I think somebody’s gonna have to speak to his doctor," he said.
The autopen has become a focal point of Trump’s broader critique of Biden’s presidency. Earlier this year, Trump declared that several last-minute presidential pardons were "void", claiming they had been signed without Biden’s awareness.
While legal experts note that the use of an autopen is valid when properly authorized, Trump contends that it may have been misused by aides acting independently. In response to the allegations, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has initiated an investigation into whether senior Biden advisors orchestrated a cover-up of the president’s health and delegated executive powers without legal basis.
Read more: 'I need more sleep, less work': US President Joe Biden
